Legendary civil rights attorney featured in diversity series

Morris Dees, founder and chief trial counsel for the Southern Poverty Law Center, will be the featured speaker for the Diversity Lecture Series at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 7 in the Rosebud Theatre.

A legendary civil rights attorney, Dees founded the center in 1971, starting a legal career dedicated to suing hate groups including the Ku Klux Klan, White Aryan Resistance and Aryan Nations, and pursuing controversial cases.

His most famous cases involved landmark damage awards that have driven several prominent neo-Nazi groups into bankruptcy, effectively causing them to disband and re-organize under different names and different leaders.

Dee's latest book, A Lawyer's Journey: The Morris Dees Story, details his life. A book signing will follow the lecture.

The event is free, but tickets are required. Sponsors are the Office of the President, Multicultural Affairs and the Division of Student Affairs.

From Arlington to Alaska: Dr. Laura Gough, shown here at the Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge, will perform research in Alaska with the assistance of two National Science Foundation grants.

Biology professor receives twoNational Science Foundation grants

Laura Gough, associate professor of biology, will direct two projects recently funded by the Office of Polar Programs at the National Science Foundation. The two grants total more than $550,000.

The research is based at the Toolik Field Station in northern Alaska during the spring and summer. The first project ($225,550 to UT Arlington for four years) is a continuation of recent research into how arctic tundra plant and soil communities respond to increased nutrients, which is one of the results of climate warming in the region.

In collaboration with John Moore of Colorado State University, Dr. Gough's team will examine how plants, soil invertebrates and soil microbes change in structure and function in experimental plots and the implications of such changes for regional carbon cycling.

The second project ($346,230 to UT Arlington for five years) is a new collaboration with Natalie Boelman, Columbia University, and John Wingfield, University of California, Davis. This study will examine how increases in shrub vegetation in arctic Alaska that are being caused by climate warming are affecting migratory songbird reproductive success in the region.

Dean authors study: Dr. Scott Ryan, dean of the School of Social Work, is an expert in the study of gay and lesbian adoption.

Study shows no difference in adopted children raised by gay parents

Three college educators have determined there is no significant difference in emotional problems experienced by children adopted by heterosexual and gay or lesbian parents.

The study, published in September's Adoption Quarterly, was authored by Scott Ryan, the new dean of the UT Arlington School of Social Work, and Paige Averett and Blace Nalavany, assistant professors of social work at East Carolina University.

The researchers used survey results from parents who adopted children through Florida's public child welfare system and data from gay and lesbian couples throughout the United States.

"Our research shows that there is no difference in children raised by gay or lesbian parents and heterosexual parents," says Dr. Ryan, an expert on gay and lesbian adoption. "People are people."

Ryan joined UT Arlington in August and was most recently associate dean at Florida State University.

Tier One Web site documents UT Arlington's progress

A guide to information about UT Arlington's progress toward becoming a Tier One, national research institution is now available at www.uta.edu/president/tierone. The dynamic site will be updated as the University marks its achievements and milestones.

The site also includes information about Proposition 4, a state constitutional amendment on the Nov. 3 ballot. If voters approve the proposition, the state's inactive Higher Education Fund would roll into a new National Research University Fund. UT Arlington and six other emerging Texas research institutions would then be able to compete for additional revenue from the new fund based on several benchmark criteria.

Departments requested to report influenza-like illness

The Office of Human Resources would like to remind departments, supervisors and managers of the importance of monitoring and reporting influenza-like illness and to report such absences to Human Resources via e-mail at benefits@uta.edu.

Liberal Arts faculty honored

Four faculty members from the College of Liberal Arts received the Alicia Wilkerson Smotherman Faculty Awards for their recent work with students. From left are Laurel Stvan, associate professor of linguistics; Stacy Alaimo, associate professor of English; Darryl Lauster, assistant professor of art and art history; and John Garrigus, associate professor of history.

This notification of absence should include only the name of the department a faculty or staff member works in and the date of the first day he or she is out sick. Do not include any employee names in the e-mail. A representative from Human Resources will follow up with you for additional information.

Bed Races highlight tonight's events

UT Arlington will attempt to break the record for the state's largest collegiate pillow fight at the 29th annual Bed Races tonight at 7 p.m. at Maverick Stadium. Admission is free.

As one of the oldest traditions on the campus, the unusual sport features students pushing beds on wheels at full speed, with one team member riding on the bed, in a timed dash to the finish line.

Awards will be given by division (women's, men's and co-ed). There will also be an award for the most creative costume and for a team wearing costumes showing the most school spirit.

The races are sponsored by EXCEL Campus Activities and the Department of Campus Recreation. Participants can take part in a field goal kicking contest, bungee and mechanical bull riding. See more on Bed Races and see a video of a past event. Check-in time for participants is from 6-6:45.

Maroon 5 to appear on campus in November

Grammy Award-winning recording group Maroon 5 will appear at Texas Hall on Friday, Nov. 20, as part of its exclusive U.S. College Tour. The event is part of the Fall Concert Series sponsored by the Division of Student Affairs, University Events and EXCEL Campus Activities.

Hip Hop emcee and singer/songwriter K'naan will serve as the opening act on all tour dates.

Tickets are $30 for faculty and staff and $15 for current UT Arlington students. Faculty, staff and students must present ID and are allowed a maximum of four tickets. You may purchase tickets at www.utatickets.com.

For more information, and for special accommodations, contact University Events at 2-9234.

Hand sanitizer stations added on campus

The Office of Facilities Management has placed 60 hand sanitizer stations in locations where large groups congregate on campus.

Bottles of hand sanitizer will also be available upon request from the Office of Environmental Health and Safety starting Monday, Oct. 5 to hand out for small meeting groups in an effort to prevent the spread of flu or virus on campus. For information, call the EHS office at 2-2185 or e-mail ehsafety@uta.edu.

Campus safety survey seeks your participation

The UT Arlington Police Department is partnering with the University's Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice in an anonymous, Web-based survey to assess perceptions about campus safety. The survey also will assess perceptions of the service that campus police officers provide to our community. Results will be used to establish service benchmarks and will serve as the basis for campus crime prevention initiatives.

Reflected geometry

Artist Tommy Fitzpatrick gave an illustrated presentation Wednesday about his work, which is on display along with that of Margo Sawyer in "Geometry in Reflection" at The Gallery at UT Arlington through Oct. 10. He is shown here with his painting "Jongro Tower," an acrylic on canvas.

Your participation is key. The survey takes only a few minutes to complete. See fs.clcresearch.com/fs-UTAfoc.aspx. The link will remain active through Monday, Oct. 5.

Instructional Support Sessionsoffered for all faculty

The second Instructional Support Session, titled "Teaching by Inquiry," will be from 1-4 p.m. Tuesday, October 6, in Room 101 in Trimble Hall. The ability of an instructor to pose appropriate higher-order thinking questions is highly correlated with student involvement and motivation. Designing a lesson so that students pose their own questions to solve a problem or arrive at a conclusion can be even better. Following this session, faculty should be able to incorporate active inquiry strategies into their courses. All faculty, both full and part time, are invited to participate.

This is the second in a series of sessions being offered this fall. The sessions are taught by Mary Lynn Crow, professor in the College of Education, member of the UT Arlington Academy of Distinguished Teachers and recipient of the UT System Regents' Outstanding Teaching Award 2009. There is no cost, but faculty are asked to pre-register for each session by contacting Delene Remmers at 2-2737 or remmers@uta.edu. Handouts and light refreshments will be provided.

Nedderman Society Cookout slated for October 16

This year's Nedderman Society Cookout is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 16 at the Central Library mall.

The Nedderman Society is a special recognition society for all current and retired UT Arlington faculty and staff members who make a gift of any amount in support of any area of the University. Members of the Nedderman Society know that private support to UT Arlington is increasingly vital to provide unique opportunities to students, faculty and staff.

The Nedderman Society Cookout honors current society members and provides information for future members.

Maverick 101: New Employee Orientation

If you are new to UT Arlington or if you are an existing employee looking to reconnect with the pulse of the University, here's the class for you. Come learn about the exciting happenings at UT Arlington and hear from key departments that want to make your work and life easier and more fulfilling. 8 a.m.-noon, Wednesday, Oct. 7, Room 200, Wetsel Service Center. See the complete list of training classes.

Access 2007 Level I: Tables

This introductory course covers databases and the usage of MS Access 2007 to create them. You will learn how to create good and efficient databases and how to modify tables. You will also learn how to create relationships between these tables. 2-4 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 13, Room 312, Ransom Hall. Register to attend. See the complete list of OIT training classes.

About MavSpace

MavSpace is a Web resource for publishing and file storage for faculty and staff. You can use MavSpace to store copies of important documents and have the files available from anywhere using a Web browser. MavSpace also helps you share files with other users. Features include:

800MB of storage for faculty and staff

Secure access to your files from any Web browser, anywhere in the world

Ability to limit file access based on NetID or to external persons with advanced ticket options

This resource is offered to help faculty and staff conduct University-related business (education, research, service and personal noncommercial use as allowed by the University). MavSpace is provided by the Office of Information Technology as a service to the University community. There are no charges for basic service. By logging in and using the MavSpace service, you agree to comply with all the University Computer Usage Policies.

Returning to form Amanda Aguilera returned to the outside hitter position and led the Mavericks in Saturday's win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.

Volleyballers open conference play with two wins

Amanda Aguilera made her return to the outside hitter position while leading UT Arlington to a 25-23, 17-25, 19-25, 25-17, 15-11 victory over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Saturday at Texas Hall. The Mavericks have won four of their last five matches and are 2-0 in Southland Conference play after downing UT San Antonio, 24-26, 30-28, 27-25, 25-23 on Thursday, also at Texas Hall.

Aguilera, who underwent elbow surgery in the off-season, had 10 kills in the final two sets against TACC and notched a double-double with 11 digs while helping the Mavs make a comeback after going down two sets to one. It was the first time Aguilera had played outside hitter this season. Bianca Sauls led the win over UTSA with 14 kills.

The Mavericks go on the road this weekend, playing at Lamar on Friday and at Sam Houston State on Saturday. See athletics.

Baseball alumni game Saturday

The 27th annual baseball alumni game will be played at 1:45 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 3, at Clay Gould Ballpark. The game will be preceded by a home run derby contest at 1 p.m.

Former Mavericks will also participate in a golf tournament on Friday, and there will be a post-game barbecue on Saturday.

Monday, Oct. 5 Irons in Irons Presentation Learn all about Colonel Earl D. Irons and the Irons Recital Hall. Gary Barrow of the Arkansas Tech University music faculty will cover the life and times of Irons, a teacher, composer, arranger and conductor for whom the Music Department's Irons Recital Hall is named. Free. 7:30 p.m., Irons Recital Hall, Room 105, Fine Arts Building.

Thursday, Oct. 8 Opening Reception for Selected 2D Works Five accomplished artists who live and work in the Fort Worth area share their works from still life to landscape and beyond at Gallery 76102. Featured artists are Marianna Alfaro, Lucille Oppermann, Gloria Sepp, Dolly Valdez and Soon Warren. The exhibition will be on display Oct. 8-Dec. 22. Reception is free and open to the public. 6-8 p.m., Gallery 76102, Fort Worth Center.

MavWire is published by the Department of University Communications on
Mondays and Thursdays (except for holidays) during the fall and spring semesters,
and on Wednesdays during the summer. To submit items for possible inclusion in MavWire,
e-mail mavwire@uta.edu. Items must be received
three working days before distribution. Inclusion of events and activities in MavWire
does not necessarily constitute an endorsement by the University. Read the MavWire Guidelines
.

MavWire welcomes any non-employees of UT Arlington who would like to subscribe.